Tiltable table for an umbrella



March 25, 1969 1 DILULLO 3,434,484

TILTABLE'TABLE FR AN UIBHELLA Filed June 19, 1967 Kaw/WM A TTORNEV nted States Patent O U.S. Cl. 13S-16 2 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A table is disposed to be placed around the pole of an umbrella adapted to be inserted into the ground. When the pole of the umbrella is tilted at diterent angles, means are provided to tilt the angle of the table so that it can be maintained in a level position.

Umbrellas are often used by persons to provide shade on the beach and other places for protection against the rays of the sun. The main portion of the umbrella generally includes a foldable frame portion with a plurality of ribs, for receiving suitable clotlh or canvas material. At different times during the day, the umbrella may be turned to different angular positions in order to maintain the shade over a spot on a beach, for example.

Tables have so-metimes ben used with umbrellas, with such tables generally including a central opening therein for receiving the pole of the umbrella. Such tables have generally been `used on patios and in yards with the umbrella being maintained in a fixed angular position. The tables have ben used to 'hold food or the like and designed to be surrounded by chairs of conventional heights.

Very often, people visting beaches bring a number of items to use while resting under an umbrella. Such items, for example, may include small transistor radios, various cosmetic articles, food, beverage and the like. Very often, blankets are spread out on the beach to receive these items, :with the blankets being placed under the umbrella to protect the items from the rays of the sun. It is desirable at the beach to have a table conveniently disposed beneath an umbrella wherein the umbrella may be tilted to any desired angle while maintaining the table substantially Iundisturbed beneath the umbrella.

Fixed tables of the type mentioned for receiving the various items are generally not practical for use on the beach because they are generally too large and inconvenient- Also, such tables are generally designed with umbrellas to be maintained in iixed angular positions whereby the rays of the sun are different for different times of the day making it dil'licult to provide adequate shade at particular times during the day. This is true even when the umbrella includes a double pole hinged arrangement wherein the top pole portion provides means for some tilting of the umbrella.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel type of table for use with an umbrella.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved table for an umbrella `which may be easily and conveniently secured to the umbrella.

It is still a further object of this invention to pro-vide a table for attachment to an umbrella which is maintainable at level positions for different angles of tilt of the umbrella.

In accordance with the present invention, a tiltable table for use with an umbrella is provided. The umbrella is adapted to stand at diierent angles. The table is permanently or detachably mounted to the pole of the umbrella. Means are provided to adjust the table making ice it possible to maintain it at a level position for different positions of the umbrella.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent and suggest themselves to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification and claims, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in w'hich:

FIGURE. 1 is a view illustrating a tiltable table in use with a beach umbrella, in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURIE 2 is a prospective bottom view illustrating one embodiment of a tiltable table, in accordance with the present invention, and

FIGURE 3 is a prospective bottom View illustrating a slightly different embodiment of the present invention.

:Referring particularly to FIGURE l, a tiltable table 10 is attached to a beach umbrella y12. The umbrella includes a foldable frame 14 including suitable canvas or cloth material on a plurality of ribs. A pair of poles or rods 16 and 18 provide support means `for the umbrella. The poles 16 and 18 are connected by a suitable hinge member 20 and may be adjustable in a conventional manner to permit the foldable frame to be tilted at different angles making it possible to provide protection from the rays of the sun at different desired locations beneath the umbrella at different times of the day.

The pole 18 is inserted into the ground, which may be sand at the beach, for example, in the manner illustrated. The top pole portion 16 may be tilted as illustrated. The pole 18 may be mounted into the sand at diiierent angles other than normal, as illustrated. The table 10 is maintained substantially parallel to the ground despite the inclined angle of the pole 18. The table 10 may be used for a 'variety of purposes, such as holding small transistor radios, beverages, cosmetics, food and the like.

At dilferent times of the day, in order to provide shade at desired spots beneath the umbrella, it is sometimes necessary to move the umbrella to different positions and the main frame to different angles. When the pole 18 is moved to different positions or angles, the table may not be parallel with respect to the ground thereby causing items on the table to tend to fall oi. Through the use of the present invention, however, the table 10 may be adjusted by means which are relatively simple and convenient so that the table may be maintained parallel to the ground thereby preventing any articles from tending to fall ot the table.

Referring to FIGURE 2, one embodiment of the present invention includes a main -table y10 attached to the pole 18. .Means for attaching the table 10 to the pole 18 includes a pair of bracket elements 22 and 24 suitably bent at right angles, mounted to the underside of the table by any suitable means, such as by screws or rivets, for example.

A flat connecting element 26 includes a pair of end portions bent at right angles with respect to the main portion. The central portion of the element 26 is curved in a semi-circular .shape to engage the circular shaped pole 18. The end portions of the element 26 include apertures and are adapted to be attached to the bracket elements 22 and 24 by means of a rivet 28 engaging the element 22 at one end and a screw 30 with wing nut 32 engaging the element 24 at the other end.

A holding element 34 may include one or more apertures for mounting and a central-ly disposed half collar portion for engaging the pole 18 in the manner illustrated. The element 34 is secured to the element 26 by suitable means, such as a screw 36 to provide a tight holding fit around the pole 18. In the :arrangement illustrated, the table 10 may be permanently mounted to the pole. In some cases, it may be desirable that the element 34 be welded to the element 26 on one end, with the screw 36 being capable of being loosened or tightened to permit the table to tbe slid axially along the rod 18 and tightened at a position dependent upon the height desired.

If it is desired to tilt the table to a different angle, the wing nut 30 may be loosened. The entire table 10 is then movable or tiltable about the central axis of the rivet 28 and the screw 32. When the desired position is attained, the wing nut is tightened to maintain the table at its set position.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 3, a slightly different embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In this embodiment, a. pair of L shaped elements 40 and 42 are suitably mounted to the bottom portion of the table by rivets or other suitable means. As illustrated, a pair of connecting members 44 and 46 include complementary semi-circular central portions adapted to t around the circular rod 18. Each of the members 44 and 46 includes a pair of end apertures, one on either end. A screw or rivet d 48 connects the members 40 and 42 at one end. A wing nut 50 and a screw 52 connects the members 40 and 42 at their other end.

The members 44 and 46 are disposed to pivotally move about the axis of the rivet 48 when the wing nut 50 is loosened on the screw 52. Also, when the wing nut 50 is loose on the screw 52, the entire assembly including the table 10 is free to be slid axially up or down on the pole 18.

The member 46 includes an elongated arcuate slot 54 for receiving the screw S4 therethrough. When the wing nut 50 is loosely mounted on to the screw 52, one end of each of the members 44 and 46 is free to be moved in an arcuate direction, with the screw 52 being movable up or down Within the slot 54. When the table is set at its desired position, the wing nut 50 may be tightened on the screw 52 to maintain the members 44 and 46 tightly f lixed around the pole 18.

Numerous other embodiments are contemplated in the present invention other than those illustrated. Basically the invention involves a tiltable table associated -with one of the elements on an umbrella which is normally subject to Ibe disposed at diterent angular positions. Some of the modifications contemplated are mentioned briefly, the exact details of which :are not illustrated since they would be obvious to those skilled in the art.

For example, the table may be disposed away from the main pole of the umbrella. In this case, the table may include its own shaft with the means for tilting and table attached thereto. A connecting element could then be used to connect the shaft to the pole of the umbrella to the shaft attached to the table. The tilting lfeature could be substantially the same as that illustrated in the drawing, except that it would be performed with the entire table removed from the pole of the umbrella.

Of course the height of the table from the ground is immaterial. In some cases, it may be desirable to have the table two or three feet off the ground so that a person sitting in a chair may conveniently reach any articles 0n the table. In other cases, it may be desirable to have the table disposed relatively close to the ground so that a person resting on the ground or children playing on the beach sand may conveniently reach articles on the table.

It is also possible that more than one table may be used, with the tables being concentrically mounted or away from the pole of the umbrella as previously described. When multiple tables are mounted away from the pole, several persons may be able to use the tables at the same time for a picnic lunch, for example. When multiple tables are used away from the pole, their connecting elements may be detachably mounted to the pole or made foldable in the same manner as the main ribs of the umbrella.

The table may lbe tiltable about more than a single axis. For example, if a ball and socket arrangement is used, the table would be tiltable about a1l angles and tightened in place at the desired set angle. Such an arrangement would be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the description of the subject invention and hence is not shown or described in detail.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a foldable umbrella having a supporting pole, a solid unitary table having an opening therein adapted to iit around said supporting pole, means attached to said table for tilting said table to different angles with respect to said supporting pole, said means including a pair of bracket elements bent at right angles mounted to the underside of said table, a connecting element pivotally connected to said pair of bracket elements and adapted to be slidably mounted about said supporting pole, and adjustable screw means connecting said connecting element to said bracket elements to maintain said connecting element in xed relationship with respect to said bracket elements when said table is set atthe desired tilted position.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said bracket elements includes an arcuate slot therein with said adjustment screw means extending through one end of said connecting element through said arcuate slot, said adjustment screw means being adapted to receive a nut element to hold said connecting element and said brackets in fixed relationship with respect to each other when said table is set at the desired tilted angle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,039,805 5/1936 Knight 108-50 FOREIGN PATENTS 482,696 7/ 1953 Italy.

KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. IOS- 6, 50 

